Potato-digger



A. N. WOODARD.

(No Model.)

POTATO BIGGER.

No. 390,426. Patentd 001;. 2, 1888.

Wz'fnesses 1 88.87%

PEIE s. Photo-Lithography wmm m D c ALVIN N. WOODARD, OF JAMESTOWVN, NEW YORK.

POTATO- BIGGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 390,426, dated October 2, 1888.

Application filed May 28, 1888. Serial No. 275,272.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVIN N. WooDARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at J amestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato-Diggers, of which the followingis a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawlugs.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in potato-diggers; and the invention consists in an improved construction, ar-

rangement, and combination of different parts, all as more fully hereinafter described, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved potato-digger. Fig. 2 is a vertical central longitudinal section thereof, and Fig. 3 is a plan thereof.

The plow consists of a digging share or shovel,A,providcd with the vertical sides form ing the inclined cuttingedges B; or theseinclined cutting-edges may be formed by extra shares secured to the diggingshare in similar relation.

0 is a curved bail or sheath, between the lower ends of which the plow is secured.

D is a plow-beam, to which the bail is firmly secured, and to the forward end of which the draft is applied in the usual manner.

E are the plow-handles secured to the bail.

F is a shaft transversely journaled below the rear end of the digging-share in the sides of the plow.

G are wings extending rearwardly from the sides of the plow, and to which they are pivotall y connected at their forward ends by means of the shaft F, and at the rear end these wings extend upwardly to form hangers H, by means of which they are suspended from the axle I, which is supported upon the groundwheels J, one or both of which are drive-wheels. Between the rear end of the wings is secured in suitable bearings the transverse shaft K.

L is an endless carrier passing around suitable carrier-wheels upon the shafts F and K. This carrier is constructed of a series of parallel bars transversely thereof, and of such a distance apart as to separate the ground from the potatoes, which latter, in the operation of the device, are carried to the rear.

(No model.)

Motion is communicated to the carrier by means of a suitable driveconnection between the axle and the carrier-such as, for instance, by means of the gear-wheel M, fast upon the axle, and the pinion N, fast upon the shaft K of the carrier.

To the rear end of the device is detachabl y secured a truck, which has a grated bottom, 0, secured between the sides 1?, which at the rear end are joined by the cross-bar Q, which carries the two groundwheels It and forms the rear end of the truck. The forward ends of the sides I? are provided with the hooked arms S, adapted to engage upon the axle, and thereby support the forward end of the truck. A seat, T, for the driver is suitably supported on the truck.

To prevent lateral displacementof the hooks S, suitable collars, U, are secured upon the axle I. The truck thus constructed can be readily detached. lVhen attached to the plow, the forward end of its grated bottom projects in proximity to the rear end of the carrier to receive the potatoes, and byasuitableiuclination they are carried to the rear.

In practice my device is adapted to work with or without the rear truck. In light soil free from stones the truck is preferably employed, as it collects a large amount of the potatoes, which may be dumped at suitable intervals upon the ground. To do this, the operator simply lifts up the forward. end of the truck and discharges the load out at the rear end. In heavy soil or in stony ground the rear truck may be detached and the potatoes allowed to drop on the ground.

The plow is guided by the operator by means of the plowhandles either in walking on the ground or when seated on the seat on the truck, and the draft may be changed by means of a suitable clevis,as in ordinary draft attach ments for plows.

The carrier is made to rev olve rapidly, and, if desired, suitable knockers may be placed underneath to impart a shaking or agitating motion thereto to facilitate separation. I preferably impart motion to the carrier by means of star-wheels secured upon the shafts and engaging with the cross-bars and pass the straps or chains of the carrier around plain wheels upon the ends of the shaft. As the rear end wheels, the unevenness of the ground will impart a constant vibration to the carrier, and this will help separation. The same effect is obtained in the rear truck to feed the potatoes back to the rear end thereof. The weeds and potato-vines have an unobstructed passage to the rear, and fall to the ground or are readily removed.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination, with the plow of a potato-digger, of a separating device comprising the endless carrier pivotal] y secured at its forward end to the sides of the plowshare and suspended at its rear end from the axle of two supporting ground-wheels, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the plow ofa potato-digger, of a separating device consisting of the rearwardly-extending wings pivotally secured at their forward ends to the sides of the plowshare and terminating at their rear ends in vertical hangers, of an axle passing through bearings in said hangers and provided with ground-wheels, the carrier mounted between the wings in rear of the plowshare, and suitable drive-connection between the axle and carrier, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the plow of a po tato-digger, of a separating device consisting of the rearwardly-extending wings G, terminating in vertical hangers H, the axle I, from which said hangers are suspended, the groundwheels J, supporting said axle, the carrier mounted between the wings, the front shaft, F, of'the carrier, mounted in the plow below the rear end of the plowshare and pivotally securing the wings thereto, the rear shaft, K, of the carrier, provided with the pinion N, and the gear-wheel M, mounted on the axle, substantially as described.

4. The combination, in a potato-digger, of the plow-shovel A, provided with the vertical outtingsides and cutting-edges B, the bail O, the plow-beam D, the handles E, the pivoted wings G, terminating in hangers H, the axle I, from which said hangers are suspended, the ground-wheels J, the carrier mounted between the wings in rear of the plowshare, and the drive-connections from the axle to the carrier, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in a potato-digger, of the following elements: the plow supported on the ground from a plow-beam and provided with guiding-handles, the carrier pivotally secured at its forward ends to the plow and supported at its rear end from a two-wheeled truck mounted thereon, and a supplementary truck or collector detachably supported with its front end from the axle of the carrier-truck and with its rear end supported on ground-wheels, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the plow and the carrier of the potato-digger, mounted with its rear end upon the axle by ground-wheels, substantially as described, of a detachable rear truck or collector, consisting of the slotted inclined bottom 0, the sides P, terminating in hooks S at their forward ends, and the cross bar Q, mounted on ground-wheels R and forming the rear end of the truck, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 17th day of May, 1888.

ALVIN N. WOODARD.

Witnesses:

M. W. PARDU, EUGENE BURK. 

